Method of treating filaments



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,552

s. A. NEIDICH METHOD OF TREATING FILAMENTS Filed July 30, 1925 2 Sheets-$heet 1 2 r-fll-jz N SAMUEL fl. Mr/olcu,

Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,552

' s. NEIDICH METHOD OF TREATING FILAIEN'I'S //VV/V TOR:

. SAMUEL A. lVE/DICH,

I Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

stance,

value of suchfilament is in loose pressing the upper layers upon the lower UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' SAMUEL A. NEIDICH, 0F EDGEWATER PARK, NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF TREATING FILAMEN'IS.

Application filed July 30, 1925. Serial No. 46,953.

Liquid viscose (cellulose sulphocarbonate or thiocarbonate) may be coagulated or preci itated to form a gelatinous semi-solid cellulose hydrate complex by progressively projecting a stream of such viscose into a heated atmosphere or into an aqueous solution containing a suitable acid, for insulphuric or hydrochloric acid, or containing an acid salt such as sodium bisulphite or ammonium chloride either with or Without neutral salts or dehydrators, or both; or carbon bi-sulphide, etc.

Such a filament is amorphousand so soft and impressionable that it is easily deformed even by contact with itself in successive convolutions, and even slight indentations of the ultimate commercial filament formed by drying and contraction from its. primarily soft gelatinous form are conspicuously noticeable because of the reflection of light therefrom; whereas, the commercial largely dependent upon its uniformity of cross section and uniformly lustrous appearance. Consequently, when it is desired to form such filaments of uniform cross section free from indentation, it is undesirable to wind them in the usual Way upon the surface of bobbins or other similar containers, and a method of dropping such filaments .in bulk is .desirable. However, when such filaments'are dropped bulk, even their own weight imlayers, produces such indentations as to be undesirable.

Therefore, it is the object and effect of my invention to provide means to separately receive and store each filament, in close but loose convolutions, and suspend and support such filaments practically continuously from the time they leave the coagulating bath until they are sufficiently firm to resist such deformation or indentation, so that the final product is of uniform cross section and without the defects aforesaid and consequently of greater commercial value.

To that end, my invention includes the provision of a series of containers to receive and closely, .but loosely, coil such a filament, as fast as it is produced, but prevent adjacent layers of the filament from thus marking each other by their weight. In my copending application Serial No. 32,- 405, filed May 23, 1925, I have described and claimed apparatus for thus coihng such filament, and in my copending applicatlon Serial No. 32,455, filed May 23, 1925, I have described and claimed a method (of and means for treating filaments thus coiled by suspending them in a liquid of approximately the specific gravity of the filaments.

In order to attain the maximum production of such filaments with a minimum equipment; I find it convenient to thus loosely coil the filaments in such containers and in such flotation liquid after extruding the viscose to form such filaments in a bath of coagulating liquid. Said filaments are progressively Withdrawn from such coagulating medium, as quickly as they are coagulated, to such an extent that they may be thus withdrawn without formation of damaging marks thereon incident to the withdrawal, and before they have been subjected to the coagulating meansfor the length of time ultimately desired. My invention herein disclosed provides means for not only continuing such coagulating treatment with a maximum amount of filament in a minimum amount of space, but to efiect the subsequent washing treatment of said filament while thus compactly disposed.

My invention includes the various novel features of construction, arrangement and method of procedure hereinafter more definitely specified.

However, it may be observed that although it has long been well known that the treatment of filaments of any kind with liquids is facilitatedby relative movement thereof and many means have accordingly been devised for moving fabric in a substantially stationary body of liquid and, alternately, movm'g liquid in a substantially stationary mass of fabric; such methods of procedure may all be characterized as circulatory, in that, despite the relative movement of the fabric and the liquid, they remain in contact with each other throughout the operation. All such methods of procedure of the prior art have been based upon the assumption that the greatest efficiency of treatment 18 only attainable by continued contact of the liquid with the goods being treated throughout the entire period of the treatment. On the contrary, I have discovered that far greater efliciency of treatment is atat intervals during the treatment. That is to say; my method of procedure may be characterized as subjecting the goods to a as distinguished from the continuous circulation'of the liquid with respect to the goods, characteristic of the prior art. In fact, it is impracticable to move or compress loosely coiled cellulose filaments after they have been automatically laid in the containers herein contemplated and, consequently, it would be impossible to efficiently treat them by any mere circulatory movement of the liquid with respect thereto, because of the inevitable formation of short circuits in the coiled masses of such filaments, which would result in corresponding irregular treatment of such masses in different regions thereof, and it has been my experience that uniform treatment of such masses is attainable only by the method of surging the liquid as herein contemplated, whereby the mass of filaments is alternately inundated with the liquid and drained. of all liquid not absorbed. Only thus does the fresh portions of. the liquor penetrate over and over again into the denser portions of the mass of filaments, and thus effect uniform treatment of the latter.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a diagrammatic plan view lndjcating apparatus for supporting and oscillating three containers.

Fig. II is a fragmentary vertical diametrical sectional view of said containers and their supports in association with means for delivering filaments into said containers in loose coils as aforesaid. I

Fig. III is a fragmentary elevation of the slide bar which carries the filament guides indicated in Fig. II, and means for reciproeating said slide bar.

Fig. IV is a diagrammatic side elevation of apparatus for holding-a plurality of such containers while subjecting the filaments thereiuto the intermittent action of a liquid, mdlcatmg the initial position of. the latter. Fig. V is a view similar to Fig. IV, but

I showing the alternate position of the liquid.

Fig. VI is a transverse sectional view of the lower tank indicated in Figs. IV and V, in which the containers are stored until the completion of the operation or operations to which the filaments which they contain are Sub ected in the apparatus shown in Figs. IV to VI inclusiv i Referring to Figs. I to III inclusive; the containers 1 are conveniently formed of material capable of resisting the corrosive actlon of the liquids to which they are exgosed; for instance, sheet Monel --metal.

ach container 1 is initially filled with flotation liquid 2, but, as the bulk of the filament 3 is pro essively piled therein, 1t causes said li uii l 2 to overflow said contamer 1. There ore, I prefer to mount each container 1 in a liquid-tight holding vessel 5 which may be a wooden pail or tub.

Each such container 1, char ed with flotation liquid 2, and mounted in its holding vessel 5, is supported by a rotary gear 6 being conveniently centeredthereon between three upwardly projecting studs 7 which are rigidly mounted in such gear. Each of said gears has an axial'stud shaft 8 journaled in a suitable stationary bearing 9. Said gears 6 are intermeshed, as indicated in Fig. I, and may be turned by any convenient means. However, I prefer to turn them by means of the gear 10 which is intermeshed with one of said gears 6 and carries, in coaxial relation, the worm gear 11 for engagement with the worm 12 on the shaft 13 which is con-' instance, all of the containers may be thus simultaneously turned through an arc of 300 and then reversely turned through an are of 380, i. e., 20 more than a complete revolution, and so on, being thus alternately oscillated respectively less and more than one revolution.

contemporaneously with such difierential oscillatory movement of said containers 1; the filaments 3 are respectively delivered therein by frictional engagement with and traction of the respective feed rollers 16 which are conveniently rigidly connected in coaxial relation with the shaft 17. InFig. II, I have indicated the side of a troughsha ed tank 18 containing a suitable coagul ating liquid 19 into which the filaments 3 are respectively projected through spinneret orifices under pressure by any suitable means. Each filament 3 1s progressed through the liquid 19 to such an extent as to so far coagulate it that it may be drawn out by the traction of its feed roller 16, to which the filament 3 extends throu h any suitable guide, for instance, a glaze metal hook 20. Such guides 20 may be stationary with respect to the rollers 16, but I prefer to. reciprocate them to the extent indicated by the dash lines in Fig. II so as to better distribute the filament with reference to the area of the container 1. Such reciprocation of the uides 20 may be conveniently effected by rigldly connecting them with the slide bar 21 which may be mounted in' suitable guides which are stationary with res ect to said tank 18. Said bar 21 has, rigid y proslot 23 for engagement with the crank pin I 24. which is conveniently mounted in the disk 25 carried by the rotary shaft 26-; so that rotation of said shaft2 6 reciprocates said bar to the extent indicated by the spaced relation of the vertical dash lines in Fig. II. It is to be understood that the continuous operation of said rollers 16 uniformly drawing the filaments 3 through the bath of liquid 19, and the reciprocation of said guides 20 contemporaneously with the oscillation of said containers 1 are so coordinated that each container is ultimately progressed more than two revolutions in one direct-ion and charged with a mass of filament in convolutions which are first radially and second circumferentially successive with reference to the axis of each container, in which the overlapped portions of the filament are thus progressively circumferentially distributed; each filament being supported by the gravitative flotation effect of the liquid 2 in its container, as aforesaid, so as to be unmarked by its own weight, despite the compact form in which it is thus disposed.

Referring to Figs. IV to VI inclusive; a plurality of such containers 1, each charged with loosely coiled filament as above contemplated, are temporarily stored, conveniently in tiers, in staggered relation, in the tank 30. Said tank is initially empty, but is connected by the conduit 31 through the pump 32 and valve 33 and conduit 34 with the reservoir tank 35 in which is primarily stored such a quantity of liquid 36 as required for the treatment contemplated. As above noted; such liquid may be the flotation coagulating liquid above specified, or may be water, or dye liquor.

Said container 1 may be either imperferate or foraminous, as indicated in Fig. I; the former being preferable if it is desired to retain the filaments 3 in the containers for any considerable length of time before placing them in said tank 30; but containers of foraminous structure being preferable, if the filaments are to be immediately subjected to the action of liquid in the apparatus shown in Figs. IV to V1 inclusive, as such structure, of course, facilitates the flow of the liquid to and from the filaments.

Referring to Figs. IV to VI inclusive; the containers 1 being suitably disposed in the tank 30, the valve 33 is opened and the liquid 36 thus permitted to fiow from the position shown in Fig. IV to the position shown in Figs. V and VI, thus submerging all of the filaments in such liquid, without tangling or otherwise disturbing the filament coils in the respective containers.

Thereafter, said pump 32 may be operated to return said liquid 36 from the position indicated in Fig. V to its initial position indicated in Fig. IV, and such alternate movements of the liquid may be thus repeatedly effected until the desired effect upon the filaments is attained. For 1nstance, a large mass of filaments may be thus finally coagulated to impurecellulose hydrate, or be thus dyed or washed, without disturbing the fiaments from the position in which they are coiled by the apparatus shown in Figs. I to III inclusive and from which they may be uncoiled and wound upon a drying reel, as contemplated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,568,686 granted to me January 5, 1926 for improvement in filament drying apparatus.

Although I have found it convenient to make the containers in cylindrical form, as indicated in Figs. I and II; it is obvious that a larger mass of filaments may be stored in the tank 30 ifthe containers 1 indicated in Fig. VI are of rectangular configuration. Moreover, although I have found it convenient to drop the filaments 3 .into the containers 1 shown in Fig. II by movements which are rectilinear with reference to the roller 16 and arcuate with reference to the circular containers 1; the latter being incident to the circular movement of those containers; it is obvious that rectangular containers might be shifted rectilinearly beneath said roller 16 so as to fully charge them. with the coils of the filaments 3.

The apparatus and method of use thereof above described are advantageous in that they accelerate the effect upon viscose products of any liquid capable of effect upon such products, as compared with the treatment of such products in such liquid in which they are allowed to remain quiescent; such acceleration being probably due to the alternate movement of the liquid to and from such products removing portions of the liquid modified by contact with the products and replacing the same with portions of the liquid not thus modified.

Therefore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction arrangement or procedure herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of subjecting extruded viscose filaments to the action of a liquid, which includes loosely coiling such filaments in a plurality of containers; placing said containers in a tank and alternately charging said tank with such liquid to a level above the coils in said containers, and withdrawing the liquid to a level below the coils in said containers; whereby said coils are intermittently subjected to the action of-said liquid and freed therefrom, with the effect of accelerating the action of such liquidupon such filaments, as compared with the continuous action of such liquid upon such filaments for the same length of time.

2; The method of accelerating the action of aliquid upon products of viscose coaguincludes ,products in said liquid and withdrawing the lated to impure cellulose hydrate, as compared with the continuous action of the same liquid upon the same products; which intermittently immersing such liquid from such products, while maintaining said products stationary.

3. The method of treating a filament of viscose which consists in closely but loosely coiling such a filament in a foraminous container; and maintaining said filament stationary in said container while intermittently subjecting said filament to the action of a flotation liquid, capable of modifying it, which liquid is of approximately the specific gravity of the filament.

4. The method of treating a filament of viscose which consists in closely but loosely coiling such a filament in a foraminouscontainer; and maintaining said filament stationary in said container while intermittently subjecting said filament to the action of a flotation liquid, capable of modifying it, which liquid is of approximate y the. specific gravity of the filament; by maintaining said container stationary in a treating tank and alternately charging said tank with said liquid until said filament is submerged therein, and discharging said liquid from said tank and filament.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New Jersey,

this twenty first day of July, 1925.

SAMUEL A. NEIDICH. 

